In early March, the League of Women Voters of Pike County (LWV Pike) invited the two candidates who will be running in the April 23 special election for the 139th Legislative District to participate in a public debate on April 2.  Unfortunately, due to one of the candidates declining the invitation, LWV Pike found it necessary to cancel the event.

It is unfortunate that Republican candidate Jeff Olsommer has declined our invitation to debate Democratic candidate Robin Skibber. Debates and forums before a public and broadcast audience give voters of all political persuasions an opportunity to both hear and see candidates as they articulate their positions on legislation, policy and intentions should they be elected.  

LWV Pike does not normally provide forums for primary elections, as only voters registered in the two major parties are allowed to cast ballots for a nominee.  However, given that this special election will be held on the same day as the party primary—which has already caused broad confusion about the process and who can cast a ballot—we felt that providing a forum for competing ideas was more than appropriate. It’s particularly important since independent voters—who are normally ineligible to vote on that day—are rarely targeted during party primaries. 

LWV Pike will try again in the fall after the party nominees have been selected.  We anticipate a date in the last week of September, and expect to announce it as soon as the spring primary certification has been completed.  This should provide more than enough time for the successful candidates to keep that date free of other conflicts.

For those voters, regardless of party, looking for information on the candidates that they themselves have provided, we recommend visiting www.Vote411.org. 

To learn more about Vote411’s online voting guide, visit www.vote411.org/about. 

Board of Directors, League of Women Voters
Pike County, PA